“Everything in life has always been a puzzle, and I’ve always wanted to figure it out.”

When other kids wanted to play with Barbies and watch Power Rangers, Takara Scott wanted to play with a microscope and watch science documentaries. She talks about not letting anyone discourage you from pursuing your interests—no matter how nerdy they may be.

Scott is a Ph.D. candidate in biomedical sciences at the Morehouse School of Medicine. Born and raised in the Virgin Islands, Scott completed her B.S. (magna cum laude) at Georgia State University before becoming a research specialist at Emory University School of Medicine. She has won several awards, including the Morehouse School of Medicine 2012 Ph.D. Rising Star student award, and currently holds several student leadership roles, including president of the Graduate Education in Biomedical Science (GEBS) Government Student Association.